


The Little Boy I Carried

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic [11]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family, Kid Fic, M/M, Prompt Fill, Target Practice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-15 01:25:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5766622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>LJ Comment Fic for Growing Up prompt: <i>author's choice, any parent + any child, remembering when your child was small enough to hold in your hands (especially if they're bigger than you now)</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Little Boy I Carried

John hung back, watching the Marines target practice on the pier from a partially obscured location; he wanted to observe without being seen. This new group was fresh out of Boot Camp, and still full of awe at their first posting. John knew how they felt. Even after all these years, he couldn’t quite believe that he got to call Atlantis home.

One man in particular stood out from the others, and not just because he was the lone Air Force pilot. He was tall and lanky, tow-headed but with an easy stance that spoke of someone who’d grown up around guns and was comfortable with them. He was at once both incredibly familiar and a total stranger.

He was the best shot out of the group.

“I’m embarrassed for you,” Lorne said, addressing the Marines. “Highly trained Marines, and you got your asses handed to you by this punk flyboy.”

John grinned.

“Lieutenant, would you care to show my new baby jarheads how a pulse pistol works?”

“Sir, yes Sir,” was the cocky reply. John had to fight back an urge to cuff that kid on the back of his head. Then again, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, as Rodney was fond of telling him.

The pulse pistol whined as each target was blasted in quick succession, and John swelled with pride. That was his son. Lieutenant AJ McKay-Sheppard, known to his friends as McShep, a newly minted Air Force pilot and newly returned to the city of his birth.

The Marines oohed and aahed, and John hoped AJ wouldn’t catch any flack because he showed them up. He had to remind himself that his son was a grown man now, and no longer in need of his father taking on his bullies.

It was strange, sometimes. John could look at AJ and still see that chubby-faced, curly-headed baby that used to feel so small and vulnerable in his arms. And sometimes, like today, he saw a stranger instead, with only hints of the little boy he once was. AJ was making his own choices, picking his own battles. John had been reduced to a more supportive role in his son’s life, which was only natural. The hard part was keeping Rodney from meddling.

“That’s it for today. Clean and stow your weapons, and report to the barracks.” Lorne pulled the targets back in. “Lieutenant, I’ll be scheduling some one-on-one time for some of my men with you. I expect to see improvement, or else I’ll have to get the General involved.”

AJ didn’t have to turn around for John to know he was rolling his eyes. “Yes Sir, Colonel.”

Lorne nodded at John as he passed by, his lips curled up in a smirk. AJ lingered on the pier until the Marines were gone, and then he strode over. He had Rodney’s power walk.

“General.”

“Lieutenant.”

“Showed up the Marines again.” AJ stuffed his hands in the pockets of his cargo pants, his stiff posture melting into something that Rodney called the Flyboy Slouch.

“I saw.”

“You wanna get Pop and grab some lunch?”

“I could eat.” John clapped his hand on AJ’s shoulder as they headed for the transporter.

Sometimes John really mourned the loss of that wide-eyed little boy, but mostly he was excited to see what life had in store for AJ. And he would be forever thankful that he got to be part of that.


End file.
